Printing machine for cylindrical objects



Sept. 5, 1939;

J. P. P. DOMBRE CTS PRINTING MACHINE FOR OffLINDR'IGAL OBJE Filed March 4, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Hf N w A Patented Sept. 5, 1939 PATENT OFFICE PRINTING MACHINE FOR CYLINDRICAL OBJECTS Jean Pierre Paul Dombre, Maisons Laflltte, France v Application March 4, 1938, Serial No. 193,980

In Great Britain March 4, 1937' Such well known machines are also objectionable. because they operate with abrupt alternating movements which considerably limit their working speed.

Furthermore these machines require a veryi fine adjustment in order to produce sharp impressions desirable for the good appearance of the printed object.

The present invention has for an object to provide an automatic machine adapted to perform all the operations required for good direct printing on glass and other substantially cylindrical articles with irregular or uneven surface.

The machine according to the invention essentially comprises a pair of discs with approximately tangential notches, that is to say, with notches inclined relatively to the radii of the discs. These discs serve to convey in said notches the articles to be printed towards and away from a printing cylinder. The latter carrying a soft or yielding printing surface rotates in the same direction as the discs. Another feature of the invention consists in adjustable means in cooperative relation to said discs for progressively moving articles within said notches into printing position relatively to said printing cylinder. In

its preferred form said means comprises blades of a suitable shape and adjustable as to their position relatively to' said printing cylinder. If the impression is to be made with ink requiring no treatment other than drying, the articles will be dropped into the bottom of the notches or recesses so as to be carried along and discharged after a few cycles of operation of the machine. If, however, the impression is to be made with varnish and then dusted with powder, a drum brush may be inserted between the two notched discs. Said drum brush rotates coaxially but in the opposite direction to the discs. The articles may roll upon said drum brush without touching the bottom ofthe notches of the discs, the said drum being in this case sprinkled with colouring powder. Articles of variable diameter (within the limits of the notches or recesses of the discs) may be passed through the machines without requiring any adjustment other than that of the blades. The element mentioned hereinbefore is suflicient to effect the correct impression on the articles but in numerous instances it will be advantageous to arrange in front of and behind this element, other elements of similar kind but without blades, serving either for brushing or preliminary cleaning of the articles, or

for a subsequent brushing and powdering, or

only for prolonging the drying period. Other features of the machine will be apparent from the following description.

The accompanying drawings show. by way of example, an embodiment of the invention comprising a main element for effecting the printing operation, a cleaning element in front and a brush element in the rear of said main element. In the drawings,

Fig. l is a longitudinal section of the machine. Figs. 2 and 3 are cross sections taken onthe lines 2-2 and 3-3 of Figure 1.

Fig- 4 is a diagram showing a modification of the driving means for the elements of the machine.

Fig. 4b is a longitudinal section of the cylinder '25 Each disc I is mounted on a tubular shaft 9 traversing the side member 5 and each disc 8 is mounted ona tubular shaft 9 traversing the side member 5'. The distance between the discs 1 and 8 can be adjusted by means of a screw) and a screw II. The tubular shafts 9'.9' each carry a ratchet wheel l2 having as many teeth as the discs 1-8 have notches. Each ratchet wheel is engaged between two plates 13 oscillating freely on said tubular shafts and having near the top a pivot pin H for the pawl I5 and near the-bot tom a pivot pin l6 for one of the coupling rods I1 and I1". Said rods. are disposed on either side of the frame and driven by fingers l8 fast on the shaft IS the operating lever 20 for which is actuated by the rod 2| connected on' the other hand to the crank pin 22 secured to the gear wheel 23. Wheel 23 and a cylinder 25 carrying the yielding printing surface 26- are attached to a shaft 24. The latter is driven in the direction of arrow 1; (Fig. l). by a motor not shown) with the aid of a pulley 21. During a semi-rotation of shaft 24.

' the detents or pawls 25.

Through the tubular shafts 9, 9' pass the spindles 23 carrying drums 30 which are furn-' ished externally with brushes and also carry pulleys 3| connected by belts 32. By means of a belt 33 the motor drives one of the drums 35 continuously in the direction of arrow 0 and this movement is transmitted to the other drums 35 by the belts 32. All the drums 30 rotate in the same direction entirely independent of the other movements of the machine.

Complementary brushes may be arranged above the drums 30 beneath flexible sheet metal members 34 which areguided on the stationary bars 35 and rest by gravity on the articles being treated, so as to increase the eflect of the brush- .ing operation already ensured by the drums 30.

An article reaching the main element is conveyed with each of its ends by one of the notches or recesses in the discs '|'-3. Means are provided for supporting and guiding an article within the notches ofthe ascending portions of discs 1' and 8 in order to move it into printing position and to apply printing pressure. For this purpose, a pair of knives or blades 35-35 are mounted on a spindle 31 so as to prevent the article from slipping at once to the bottom of said notches. The blades are provided with projections or heels 38 resting on an adjustable stop constituted by an eccentric shaft 33. The blades are pulled to the right (Fig. 1) by the springs 40 wound on their cores andresting on eccentric abutments 4| respectively. Thus it is possible to adjust the tension of the spring of each of the blades 35 and 35' independently of each other during the operation of the machine.

Means may be provided for applying powder to articles which have been impressed with varnish. For this purpose, a reservoir 42 may be disposed above the main element from which reservoir powder may be discharged on the drum 30 of this element. To ensure a steady delivery of powder, a cylinder with brushes 43 is pivoted in the reservoir so as to close the bottom of the latter, and its rotation is ensured by a finger or tappet 44 disposed in the plane of the crank pin 22 and driving externally the shaft of the drum 43 by means of a pawl and ratchet wheel.

The inking device is. mounted between two members 45, 45 connected by transverse pieces 46-46. It comprises at the top, an ink pot 41 the body of which rests on the upper transverse pieces 45 with an adjusting screw 48 while its cylinder 49 rests on the upper free roller 50. The latter is in contact with the spreading cylinder 5| the displacement of which in the axial direction is ensured by stationary rollers 52. Beneath cylinder 5|, there are disposed the lower free roller .53 and the inking roller 54 by which the printing surface 25 or block will be inked.

.slideways 52 provided in the members 45-45.

The inking assembly rests with its lower trans-- verse members 45' on or in notches in the members 5-5. to permit an adjustment of the distance between the rollers 25 and 54, a certain amount of play being provided between the teeth of the gear wheels 23 and 55 for the same purpose. It will be seen that arranged in this manner the whole of the inking device may be bodily removed as a unit without upsetting the adjustment. Thus, roller 25 is readily accessible for adjusting or changing the printing surface.

These adjustments and changes are furthermore facilitated by the manner in which the printing surface, shown in longitudinal section in Figure 4b is secured to cylinder 25. The yielding printing surface 25 projects from a thin base Members 45' are eccentric in order 25' (preferably backed with canvas or the like) equal to he external surface of the cylinder 25 on which it is wound. It is secured to the cylinder by two elastic bands 25". These hands, when in position, have practically the same height as the printing surface.- They are thinned towards the outside so as to increase the flexibility of the portion on which the articles roll in order to be printed. It will be clear that the circumferential portions of the said rings can serve either to provide a better seating for the articles, or to print lines or other lateral decorative designs depending upon whether they are placed on the outside or on the inside of the inking zone.

The machine operatesin the following manner: The articles to be printed marked 53 are taken from the receptacle 54 by means of the notches or recesses in the first pair of discs |"-8" rotating in the direction of the arrow 1); each article is taken between the first drum 30 rotating in the direction of arrow 0 and the brush beneath 34. When it is free of said brush it drops into the notch of the second pair of discs 'l'-8' but bears at each side on the blades 35-55. Thus, it will be raised without touching the second drum 30, and, then, softly or resiliently pressed against the rotating printing surface where it is printed with varnish. Having passed the ends of the blades 35, it drops onto the second drum 30 ron which'it is dusted with powder. Thereafter, it procedes to the third element where it is brushed in order to be freed from excess powder, which may be collected in the trough 55. Finally, the.

article will be discharged into the outlet chute If use is made of an ink which has to be dried the drums 35 of the last two elements, the powby limiting the inking zone. This can be accomplished by the use of rollers 50 and 53 of a width limited to that which isactually required. If articles are to be treated which are shorter than the maximum length for which the machine is designed the notched discs 1-5 must be suitably adjusted as to their distance after the drums 30 and the sheet metal members 34 of appropriate width have been mounted in the machine; it is also necessary to adjust the blades 35, 35. For this purpose their hubs are screw threaded one with right hand and one with left hand threads on their spindle 31. If such short articles are edges of a pair of coordinated notches defining acylindrical over their entire length it is necessary to'apply means against which the ends of the articles may abut. For this purpose, solid discs la, lb may be used in connection with the discs I and 8 respectively. In the absenceof such means, the articles might shift'axially and drop from the blades to the bottom of the notches which would carry them along out of contact with the printing surface. This precaution is obviously needless if the articles in question are pointed at both 'ends as with ordinary electric lamps, in which case the solid discs la, lb could be omitted.

In the form of construction described provision has been made for a period during which the article is stationary opposite the rotating printing surface for a half turn of the roller carrying the printing surface. By means of a modifled drive, this stationary period may be dispensed with. It will be noticed that, during the time of one printing operation, the discs carrying the articles turn only an angle corresponding to half the distance of two consecutive notches while the printing cylinder '25 performs only half of a complete revolution. Thus, if a continuous drive of the discs I and 8' is preferred it suflices to dispose on either side of the machine, in place 'of the parts I! to 22, a series of gear wheels the diameters of which are shown in Figure 4. The pinions 61 fast on the ends of shaft 24 mesh with the gear wheels 68 respectively of an intermediate train of wheels 68-69'driving the pinion wheels 10 mounted on the shafts 9, 9'. The intermediate pinions ll transmit the rotation to those wheels 10 which are not directly in mesh with the wheels 69.

It will be understood that the invention is not limited to the shape, structure and combination of elements hereinbefore described. It is clear that it is possible to provide, without need of illustrating same, several elements for cleaning or drying, before or after the main element effecting the impression; Thus it is possible, where it might be useful, to provide a first element to brush the articles beneath a jet of greaseremoving liquid such as spirit of benzine in front of the element effecting the brushing in the dry state.

Many changes and modifications of the structure shown may, therefore, be made without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

I claim:

1. In a machine for printing substantially cylindrical articles, a pair of associated feeding discs having coordinated notches respectively to receive therein articles to be printed, and supporting means in cooperative relation to those disc portions which ascend upon rotation of the discs, for an article within a pair of coordinated notches of said ascending disc portions, said supporting means being so arranged and constructed as to guide said article in said notches progressively into printing position and to apply printing pressure thereto.

2. In a machine for printing substantially cylindrical articles, a pair of associated feeding discs having coordinated notches respectively to receive therein articlesv to be printed, supporting means in cooperative relation to those disc portions which ascend upon rotation ofsaid disc,

said supporting means together with the trailing predetermined path for an article within said notches to move said article progressively into printing position upon rotation of saiddiscs, 'and resilient means in connection with said supporting means for applying printing pressure to the article when in printing position.

3. A machine for printing substantially cylindrical articles comprising a printing cylinder, a pair of associated feeding discs in operative relation to said printing cylinder, each disc having notches inclined to the radii of the disc and coordinated to the notches respectively of the other to receive therein articles to be printed,

and a supporting and guiding blade coordinated to each disc and arranged laterally of the ascending. portion of the disc, said blades. being so shaped and constructed as to define together with the trailing edges of a pair of coordinated notches which are in registry with said blades, a path eccentric with respect to the discs, for an article within said pair of notches to move said-article progressively into engagement with" saidcylinder upon rotation of said discs.

4. A machine as claimed in claim 3 further comprising resilient means in connection with said blades to urge the latter towards said printing cylinder, and adjustable abutments for said blades to limit their movement.

5. A machinefor printing substantially cylindrical articles, comprising a printing cylinder,

a pair of associated coaxial feeding discs spaced .from each other and having'coordinated notches respectively to receive therein articles to be printed, supporting and guiding blades in cooperative relation to those disc portions which ascend upon rotationof the discs, said blades together with the trailing edges of a pair of coordinated notches defining a path eccentric with respect to the discs for 'an article within said notches to move said article progressively into engagement with said printing cylinder, a brush drum coaxially arranged between said discs and rotatable in a direction opposite'to that of the discs, the ends of said blades being so arranged and constructed as to cause said .article; after the completion of a printing operation, to drop towards the bottom of said notches and on said drum, and means for providing said drum with a powdery substance to be applied to the printed surfaces of said article. j

6. A machineas claimed in claimfurther comprising a second pairof notched discs arranged in the same' planes as the first mentioned discs respectively and near the same, all said discs being rotatable in the same direction, whereby an article leaving a pair of notches of the descending portions of the first pair of discs may be taken up by notches of the ascending portions of the second pair. of discs, a second brush drum coaxially arranged between said second pair of discs, and a complementary brush so arranged as to engage articles conveyed by the notches of said second pair of discs.

7. In' the machineoi claim 1 adjustable abutments to prevent axial shifting of articles-inthe notches of said discs, means for adjusting the distanceof said discsi'rom each other, and other means for adjustingthe' distance betweensaid supporting means.

' JEAN PIERRE PAUL DOMBRE. 

